I looked up the Craft Robo on the net. It sounds cool. Does it actually cut a neat line or is it kind of iffy. Also how hard is it to program per job. Please let me know because I might be interested in purchasing one of these.
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| Craft Robo - I've finally got it working! http://www.worldworksgames.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=7302 |
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| Author: | Highland_Piper [ 05-29-2009, 02:38 AM ] |
| Post subject: | Craft Robo - I've finally got it working! |
| Author: | MelEbbles [ 05-29-2009, 03:16 AM ] |
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| Author: | Talae [ 05-29-2009, 05:30 AM ] |
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| Author: | Highland_Piper [ 05-29-2009, 05:47 AM ] |
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| Author: | Kane [ 05-29-2009, 07:02 AM ] |
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| Author: | LD2062 [ 05-29-2009, 07:10 AM ] |
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| Author: | scarden [ 05-29-2009, 07:40 AM ] |
| Post subject: | Craft Robo |
I looked up the Craft Robo on the net. It sounds cool. Does it actually cut a neat line or is it kind of iffy. Also how hard is it to program per job. Please let me know because I might be interested in purchasing one of these.
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| Author: | shadegate [ 05-29-2009, 09:14 AM ] |
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| Author: | Riley [ 05-29-2009, 10:21 AM ] |
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I need more info! Is it reliable? How does it know what to cut? How long does it take to teach it where to go? Can it score? Doe you have to feed each sheet, or can you give it a tray of stuff to do? I love WWG, but the cutting time is my rate-limiting step for actually building stuff. I'm currently scaling back my dreams drastically. Thanks to anyone who can help! |
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| Author: | Highland_Piper [ 05-29-2009, 10:47 AM ] |
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I've always been able to use it with Pepakura Designer. I have MechWarrior Mechs that are 12+ pages each. But I can finally do it with pdf's You would need either Corel Draw, Photoshop or The Gimp (Gimp is free) to do the switch. It takes me 10-15 per page but once that page is done then it is saved so it is a one time process. It will do curves, jagged lines straight lines and it is very neat. It will even cut score your pieces if that is what you want. One sheet at a time and it will take between 2-4 minutes depending on how complex the cutting is. The more curves the longer it will take, but still faster and more accurate then I can cut a sheet. |
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| Author: | MelEbbles [ 05-29-2009, 11:25 AM ] |
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Lots of questions! I'll take a poke at answering them. First, the quality it's capable of. The easy squeezy cheesy way of cutting is to have the machine cut the flaps and perimeter lines, while perforating the fold lines. This looks kinda ugly, as shown below: You can see the perf lines along the "chin" of the cab and the wheels. On white models, they're not so bad...on anything darker, they're seriously noticeable and look terrible. The step up is to cut in two passes. You cut in the first pass, then you change the blade cap to blue (0.1mm max depth) and do only the fold lines in the second pass. The next two models were done in this fashion: Assembling a precut model is quick and easy, and if you mess up, a freshly cut and scored page is literally just minutes away. I was able to cut those models because the software I use is capable of outputting 2D DXF files readable by the Craft ROBO's included software. In terms of converting other people's work, the images below show how it can make fast work of intricate cutting: Converting these figures to a cuttable format takes about 10 minutes per page (a one-time setup task). From that point on, once you've got the source files set up, all you have to do for more print-and-cuts is feed the machine and click a couple buttons. (That is what the tutorial Highland Piper linked to is for) I'm working on a few things to make ownership of a Craft ROBO a pleasant experience for casual users, and once I have that all wrapped up, I will be posting detailed guides and helpful shortcuts on the upcoming Craft ROBO section of my site. Also, after the chat session with Highland Piper, we were able to get the same file working on both the US and UK models, so my plan is to offer my models in a cuttable format, along with the necessary cutting files so people can cut them straight from the store. For other people's stuff, they can either contact me about making their stuff cutter-compatible or I'll post tutorials so users can convert stuff themselves. -Mel |
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| Author: | MelEbbles [ 05-29-2009, 11:32 AM ] |
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I also forgot to mention that there's a right time and right place for using a Craft ROBO--it's not worth using for stuff you're only likely to need 1-2 of, but it comes in really handy for stuff that you need a LOT of in a hurry. Also, it can just barely cut 216gsm (110lb) cardstock--you'll find it cuts nicely for the first 50 pages or so, and then it starts dulling just enough that it doesn't cut all the way through. That doesn't bother me because I don't use paper that heavy anyway. I use 50lb (185gsm) Red River double sided matte photo paper, which the machine cuts very nicely. It also makes printouts look awesome--I bought 1000 sheets of it the day after I tried out a sample. It won't cut chipboard, posterboard, or anything heavier than cardstock. So, it's more useful for things like props, wall sections, and stuff like that, which abound in WWG sets. -Mel |
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| Author: | Riley [ 05-29-2009, 12:12 PM ] |
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This is so beautiful. Looking at the price of replacement blades, though: $30 for a blade that will only cut 50 pages reliably seems like a problem. |
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| Author: | MelEbbles [ 05-29-2009, 12:58 PM ] |
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Not if you use a lighter stock--they last a LONG time then. The symptoms of dullness on heavier stock are as Highland Piper mentioned: it cuts just deep enough that you can usually still pop the parts out, and if you consistently encounter cutting problems with a certain part, you can simply cut the same page twice. The machine uses an optical eye to scan for 3 L-shaped marks on the sheet, so you can run the same sheet through multiple times and it'll cut accurately. The software also lets you select which types of line to cut during the next pass, so you can selectively redo just one type of line. -Mel |
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| Author: | Kane [ 05-29-2009, 01:06 PM ] |
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I was wondering how it would handle alignment! Very nice. I am so sold...and so broke! LOL |
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| Author: | Riley [ 05-29-2009, 01:29 PM ] |
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Thanks so much for the info, Mel. Looks like I'd spend $0.24/sheet to get the paper you recommend, including shipping. Another question: you specified double-sided photo paper. Looking at the minis above: are you printing your minis on single-sheet paper, or gluing two sheets of paper together, as would be traditional? If single-thickness, are they stiff enough? |
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| Author: | Kane [ 05-29-2009, 01:32 PM ] |
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Where do you buy your paper from, Mel? I found the company web site and the price is actually very good from them, but if I can get it locally, it would probably be even better. Its a half mill thicker than the Canon I've been using and its double sided but STILL cheaper (by about $4!) for a 50 pack. I may switch over to this full time. Have thrown away a good amount of misprints because the Canon paper is one sided and the cardstock just does not have the vibrancy. |
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| Author: | MelEbbles [ 05-29-2009, 02:11 PM ] |
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| Author: | Kane [ 05-29-2009, 02:18 PM ] |
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| Author: | MelEbbles [ 05-29-2009, 02:35 PM ] |
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| Author: | Highland_Piper [ 05-30-2009, 01:19 AM ] |
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I'm currently working on the tree branches. This is taking a bit more time as they all won't fit within the registration marks. So I will be loosing out on one large branch. Plus I'm making sure that they all line up perfectly so I only need to make the one Craft Robo cut file for all the branch pdf's. I will take a picture of it when I'm done. |
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| Author: | Riley [ 05-30-2009, 05:52 AM ] |
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Mr. Piper (and Denny!), It would be a most excellent idea to have a place where cutting files for WWG sets could be shared between users. I'd buy this device in a heartbeat if I knew that I could use it straight out of the box. |
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| Author: | scarden [ 05-30-2009, 05:53 AM ] |
| Post subject: | Flirtin' with disaster!!!! |
Thanks for the props Shadegate Ya gotta love the DeathDealer!!!!
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| Author: | MelEbbles [ 05-30-2009, 12:59 PM ] |
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| Author: | DeltaIce [ 05-30-2009, 06:25 PM ] |
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| Author: | Gamesmith Denny [ 05-30-2009, 08:27 PM ] |
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| Author: | MelEbbles [ 05-30-2009, 09:33 PM ] |
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| Author: | Gamesmith Denny [ 05-30-2009, 10:29 PM ] |
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| Author: | MelEbbles [ 05-30-2009, 11:18 PM ] |
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| Author: | Highland_Piper [ 05-31-2009, 04:14 AM ] |
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The Tree trunks did not need to change really I just needed to move them slightly. The Branches took me all day. I wanted one CraftRobo file for all the options and they just did not fit within the registration lines. I had to sacrifice one of the larger branches. I had to do this for all four pages. At first I left them all in their bound box however it was such a tight squeeze that the CraftRobo picked up some of the boxes around the branch models as registration lines! What a mess that was. I find as it is a perfect cut I don't need the box with the fold lines. It cuts it properly and I just need to score and fold (I prefer to score myself) then all I need to do is wait for it to dry and edge them. The tree tops I don't think need a CraftRobo, although I may play around with it when I have a bit more free time. At this rate I will have a HUGE forest done in no time. |
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